The confrontation started when I shared a facebook post from my daughter:

​No big deal, right? I try to support Mental Health awareness and stigma fighting because several members of my family, myself included, have dealt with mental health issues, depression in particular.

Then a guy I knew and had not seen since high school replied to my post with this comment, “people say women are better communicators - obviously not.”

I should have known better than to respond. But in the interest of trying to educate someone on depression respond I did, “It is not a male or female issue. It is one of the really hard things with depression.”

The guy again responded with his focus on the female focus of the post, “"she was depressed" "she did" "she told you" x7”

Again I tried to be the voice of reason and explain, “Whoever wrote it used "she" but it applies equally to "he"”

When he responded, “so, my original statement stands”, I should have quit. I should have recognized that this was not a conversation, it was a confrontation.

At this point, my son asked,”What exactly is that original statement?” and I sent him a link.

The guy, in response, posted a graphic that said, "We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given a life. It's up to us to make it good or bad."

One of my son’s friends jumped in with, “this image/story was being used as a descriptive example to illustrate something about depression. The author made the subject of the story a female, but all of the "shes" could easily be replaced with "hes." This is obviously not intended to be a scientific study about the relationship between gender and depression, but if you think women are the only people who suffer from depression, I strongly encourage you to educate yourself.

And in regard to your claim that an "easy solution" to depression is "talking to people," I'm going to be frank: if someone is suffering from depression, and the only people they have to talk to are as misinformed as you have demonstrated yourself to be through your comments, that is going to do much more harm than good. There is no "easy solution" to depression. It's not simply feeling sad or having a bad day. It's so much more complicated than that, and until you do enough research to fully grasp what it is, you shouldn't comment on it.”

I thought my son’s friend's response was very well written. I had had enough though. I was dispirited and tired of having to justify my depression, so I chose to bow out, “I give up. Truly I just wanted to share something that is true in my life and my daughter's. Both of us suffer from depression. While I did not write the piece I appreciated the sentiment behind it. Ok?”

Unfortunately he was not done, “it just bothers me that women 'suffer' from depression when there is an easy solution: talk to people.”

My fuel tank was empty so I posted the following and then unfriended him, “t is not that simple. I wish it were but it is not. Men suffer from depression also. Frankly I cannot help you understand it as I have lived it but do not have a medical degree. wishing you the best but I am done. Thank you.”

Another on my friend’s weighed in, “some people just don't get it.......unless you are dealing or have dealt with it, you don't understand it.....you are 100% correct......it isn't simple.”

I posed on Twitter, “ · Some days ‪#‎depression‬ just sucks the life out of you, circumstances/individuals can make it worse. Time for ‪#‎selfcare‬ & going offline.” My twitter automatically posts to my facebook. I signed off and watched a Dan Jones documentary on the Great Castles of Britain to try to decompress (yes, I am a history nerd).

But it wasn’t over. I received a facebook message from the guy which he sent shortly after I had unfriended him. He said, “seriously Nan; my mom suffered from depression for 30 years. i would call her fairly often just to talk to her. i suffer from it as well. the only way to combat it is talk to people. If there is a simple solution to your problem, why won't you try it? to make yourself seem more mysterious? self-righteous? Seriously, depression is very easy to combat, if you do not enable it.”

When I read the message this morning, my jaw dropped. “Depression is very easy to combat, if you do not enable it”? How am I enabling it? I see a therapist. I take anti-depression medications.

“The only way to combat it is to talk to people”? Which people should I be talking to? Surely not someone like this guy? Shouldn’t those of us who suffer (and yes dear God, we suffer) from depression support each other? Not shame each other?

Last night when I signed off, I was almost in tears. I was tired and depressed and frustrated. This morning, I am mad, angry and completely pissed off. This is not a good thing. I have a weapon that I employ when I am truly angry. My words, my less than under average writing and I am using them now. We have got to stop having to justify our mental illness. We have got to not being in a position where we feel we have to give personal medical information to prove that we are trying to “get better”. And we have got to stop attacking other individuals with mental illness and support each other.

So what was the purpose of sharing this long and detailed conversation from social media? To illustrate that not only is there stigma still against mental illness but there is a shaming factor, too. Stigma and Shame have got to stop.

ContentsThe Water Finder’s Shadow by David BrunsWhen You Open the Cages for Those Who Can’t by Edward W. RobertsonProtector by Stefan BolzThe Poetry of Santiago by Jennifer EllisDemon and Emily by David AdamsKeena’s Lament by Hank GarnerTomorrow Found by Nike ColePet Shop by Deidre GouldKael Takes Wing by E. E. GiorgiThe Bear’s Child by Harlow C. FallonWings of Paradise by Todd BarselowGhost Light by Steven SavilleKristy’s Song by Michael BunkerUnconditional by Chris Pourteau

Anthologies can be tough. They can contain gems and lumps of coal. This particular anthology is very even. All the stories were good. I felt it was important to include a non-spoiler summary of each story. The authors deserve to have their stories highlighted individually instead of a collective rating.

The Water Finder’s Shadow by David BrunsMr. Bruns made me cry. The story was beautiful and very moving and frankly it hit very close to home, my home and my elderly dog. In a world where water is the most precious resource, the water finder is the highest regarded position. That is until their gift is gone and they are sold to slavers. This story follows a water finder whose gift is enhanced by his Shadow, his dog. Even as his gift begins to fade, Shadow continues to lead him to water and safe him from the wrathful tribe time and again. Now Shadow is dying and the water finder is losing not only his gift but his dearest friend. Beautiful story, well constructed world and lyrical language make The Water Finder’s Shadow a must read. Kleenex recommended.

When You Open the Cages for Those Who Can’t by Edward W. RobertsonA young girl lives out of step with everyone around her. She does not fit in at school. Her parents do not understand her. The only place she is comfortable at the animal hospital where her mom works. The dogs and cats kenneled there do not judge her, simply accept her. When a plague leaves her as one of the few survivors in a dangerous world, her first thought is for those animals caged at the animal hospital. This is a beautiful story illustrating in human and animal relationships it is often impossible to tell who is looking out for whom.

Protector by Stefan BolzProtector is a lovely story of loyalty based on one small act of kindness. The animal featured in this story, besides man, is the wolf. A wolf is fascinating in of itself but given a character and a voice, it really does steal the show.

The Poetry of Santiago by Jennifer EllisI am a very particular cat lover. I do not love all cats. I am very selective and the ones I do love have a uniqueness to their personalities that transcends their cat-ness. It is very hard to describe. The cat is this story would definitely meet my qualifications to be on my cool cat list. He and the human that he comes to know comfort each other in very quiet moments and very subtle gestures. It is a love story for all, even those who are not cat fans.

Demon and Emily by David AdamsEmily is Demon’s human. Demon is Emily’s dog. This story is the apocalypse as seen and interpreted by Demon. Events have to be processed into human terms. Demon has the unique canine gifts of heightened smell and senses. His job is to protect Emily. Against nuclear bombs, monstrous insects and predatory humans, Demon does takes them all on because Demon is a good boy. The author does a fantastic job of thinking like a dog. I could very easily see my own dog thinking in these terms.

Keena’s Lament by Hank GarnerWhat a fascinating story. The apocalypse involved is very real, and a part of human history. The story is told through the eyes of a half human/half angel type individual. He finds an orphaned dog, deeming it the purest of all the creator’s creators. He and Kenna watch events unfolding without understanding their lethal consequences.

Tomorrow Found by Nike ColeThirty years after a nuclear holocaust, a man is debating suicide when he is saved by a mother dog who is saving the runt of her litter by giving him to the man. The puppy saves the man who in turn saves the puppy, who he names Dog. The man is trying to finish his quest to find the past. The man and Dog travel through a dangerous world in search of the past to save the future.

Pet Shop by Deidre GouldSurly Shirley is a parrot who lives up to her name. She has been in the pet store for 10 years because she is too mean for anyone to buy. Something has happened. The owner is gone. The food and water are almost gone. The nasty parrot has to try to stop her fellow pets from dying and deal with predatory humans. If you have owned a bird (I had several parakeets over the years), you will have no problem believing Shirley’s actions.

Kael Takes Wing by E. E. GiorgiThis was one of the shorter stories. There is not as much sense of post apocalypse except mentions of technology augmenting people, like prosthetics. A young raptor being parented by only one parent is at a disadvantage. It gets worse when his mother does not return and he falls from his nest, injuring himself. He is found by humans struggling with their own depravations and injuries. It is a sweet story about who we choose to call family.

The Bear’s Child by Harlow C. FallonSet in a world with a huge chasm between peoples, the people in the city, Icarus, live in safe and clean conditions. The people outside the city are considered ferals. No medicine, no support and they are hunted for sport by the city dwellers. The main character suffers from a degenerative disease that affects the ferals. It has affected her mind and she cannot always tell reality from hallucination. When she finds herself hiding from a hunter in a bear’s den, her life changes when the bear speaks to her.

Wings of Paradise by Todd BarselowAfter an ecological disaster, animals inherit the earth. Budgies and bats form a cooperative to find food and protect themselves. It works well until humans show up again. The decision on how to deal with humans sparks dischord with unforeseen consequences.

Ghost Light by Steven SavilleThe story begins in the post cold war days. Suddenly it begins again and ends within minutes as the buttons are pushed. The main character is a passenger on a plane in flight headed for London. The passengers take a vote and decide to try to land safely as opposed to flying until the plane ran out of fuel. The plane lands in northern Scotland with everyone safe, for the moment. As ghost lights begin to appear, in the form of phantom dogs who circle at night, the passengers know death is coming.

Kristy’s Song by Michael BunkerMichael Bunker’s world created for his Pennsylvania series is the setting of this story. New Pennsylvania is a planet where people are encouraged to settle to help relieve the issues of an overcrowded earth. Unfortunately it is caught in a war. Kevin, the main character, has been on the run for over three years after removing the government mandated chip. He has survived because Kristy, his dog, accels at alerting him to danger. This story was a little of a challenge for me because I had not read any of the New Pennsylvania stories.

Unconditional by Chris PourteauA dog and his boy takes place in a world after “The Storm of Teeth” has occurred. The dog is in the yard waiting for the boy to come sneak him into his room. As the family is eating dinner, the dog becomes aware of strange smells, “unlife walking”. He is separated from his boy. As the storm of teeth grows larger, the dog continually searches for his boy. What happens is terrifying, heartbreaking and a testimony to the love between a dog and his boy.

After each story, there is an explanation by the author of how the story came to be written. Some of them are fascinating. There is also information about how to find more of that particular author’s work if you enjoyed the short story.

Maxwell Zener did a great job narrating. He did a wonderful job on accents, males and females and gave voice to animals that were believable. This was my first narration by Mr. Zener. I enjoyed it and will look for more of his works. Production values were very good.

​I have read L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain’s The Scattered and The Dead book which was amazing. When the author’s offered me a copy of Casting Shadows Everywhere in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at it. Casting Shadows Everywhere is not set in an apocalyptic world with zombies. It is set in a much scarier place with much scarier monsters. It is set in our world and with real people in real situations.

The story follows the life of Jake suffering through the typical pangs of being fifteen. He is not part of the popular crowd or the jock crowd. He is part of the background. He goes through life trying not to make waves but honestly trying to more humane to other people than they are to him. He does not like confrontation or fights.

Jake’s older cousin Nick offers to take Jake under his wing and help toughen him up. Jake wants to build up his confidence and learn how to handle bullies. He commits to working with Nick by agreeing to do anything Nick tells him, in return Nick will guide him in becoming a man and not a pushover.

Jake is in control of his destiny. He has to choose how far down a very dark path he is willing to follow Nick. He also has to choose whether to step off the path and make his own. He is a fifteen year old boy, surrounded by bullies, the dangerous people his cousin associates with, and having his first relationship with a girl. Jake uses his journal to not only record what has happened but to also process his thought and make his decisions. Not having been a fifteen year old boy in my lifetime, I cannot attest to the authenticity of the young male teen experience but I can tell you the authors made Jake very real to me. I cared whether he made good decisions and I feared for him as the slope became slipperier. I recommend Casting Shadows Everyone as an excellent book about the decisions we make and how our decisions make us.

The campaign leading up to the 2016 election has been one of the most absurd, contentious and disheartening campaigns in generations. At times it feels like we have passed through the looking glass, and the Mad Hatter is pouring Kool-Aid while discussing physical attributes of candidates and their wives. Many people have gotten caught up in the reality-show atmosphere of the debates, town halls and social media platforms. Some fear that American civilization is on the verge of collapse.

So what can we do? What should we do? And most importantly who are “we?” Dr. Darrien Davenport, assistant dean of student affairs at York College of Pennsylvania, and I touched on this topic during a conversation in March. I had sought out Dr. Davenport after meeting him at a York College Cultural Series event – the screening of the movie “Dear White People.” He struck me as having a unique perspective on several different population groups that should be participating in this year’s election. Dr. Davenport is involved in the student’s world, the York community in which he volunteers, and the academic community.

“As far as the election, I’ve heard from many people who are either confused about what the candidates stand for or are disenchanted completely,” Dr. Davenport remarked. “I think this election provides this country and its citizens an opportunity to really take a hard look at their political structure and see what changes they want made for the betterment of the country. Isn’t that our role as citizens? When we think about it means to be a citizen, there are a lot of things that we should participate in that we don’t. If we want to have power, we could, but we don’t because we don’t get involved. In particular, consider the fact that we have less than 80 percent of the country voting in any election.”

Dr. Davenport makes a very important point here. The participation rate among eligible voters in this country is pathetic. The voter rates for non presidential years are appalling. The bump in numbers for presidential years does not translate to a more informed pool of voters. It reminds me of people who do not watch football but would not dream of missing the Super Bowl. They are watching just because that is what is socially expected. So why can’t we have expectations for a reasonably informed electorate to participate in all levels of elections? Why is the local school board any less important than the president in an individual’s life? The school board may have more actual impact on the individual through taxes and their children’s education, yet fewer voters turn out to select them.

I asked Dr. Davenport how we can create voters who are informed as opposed to those who are influenced. He said, “You see someone who may be speaking your language or really speaking to you as far as your passions and your purpose and your beliefs. Do your research so you have a full understanding of what that person stands for. Looking at the folks still in the race, see what they’ve done in the past, how they voted in the past. That’s public information. Use that information to inform yourself and make a healthy decision as opposed to just reading a stream of Facebook posts.”

Honestly, I am surprised by the gullibility of people to believe something is true simply because it is on social media. Always check your sources. If an article says a particular candidate is embezzling money from his campaign, the source of the article is very important. If it is written by a competitor in the campaign or contains no facts to back up the accusations, then the last thing you should do is report or retweet it. Treat information as potential computer viruses. Check out all sides of the story before you buy into it.

In November, the election will be held. Then we face the task of coming together. Dr. Davenport stated it clearly, “And – we have to – we have to become America. You hear this thing out there -- regardless of who says it -- about making America great again. I think what will make America great again is Americans realizing the power they have and the solidarity that they should and can show to be able to have a positive effect on making change. It doesn’t mean starting some start of civil disobedience or riot or big, but it’s coming together and saying there are things that we want to change about our society, and regardless of where we sit in an aisle, we want the people who represent us to do better and do more.”

I encourage individuals 18 years or older to register to vote now. If you missed your state’s primary or cut-off for the Pennsylvania primary, still register. Vote in the general election. And continue to vote in every election, primary and general, presidential or local, from this point on.

“If you want to change things, if you want to see the laws created and have the rights and all these different things, you have to stand up and be present,” Dr. Davenport explained. “It’s the business of the people. I think when it comes to, ‘We the people . . . ‘ some people forget the ‘we’. There’s power in collaborative efforts to come together and say, ‘We don’t like this. We don’t like what’s going on.’

“I think that more of our ‘we’ have to come together and say, ‘Listen, if you want a better economy or you want better minimum wage or you want something else, let’s come together and push for that as opposed to fighting each other because we have different political colors and mascots.’ We all live in America.”

Dr. Darrien Davenport, ED.D.is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Intercultural Student Life and Global Programmingat York College of Pennsylvania. Our conversation took place March 7, 2016.

I am familiar with Alison Weir’s work, both fiction and non-fiction. I have also read several biographies of Katherine of Aragon as well as books that cover the reign of Henry VIII. Yet I was surprised. It is refreshing to find new information in a subject I thought I knew so well. So hats off to Ms. Weir for the surprise concerning Arthur, Prince of Wales. Once I finish writing this review, I am off to find more information.

Having read Ms. Weir’s fiction and nonfiction books, I have to say I prefer her nonfiction. This novel is a good example of why. In the nonfiction books, Ms. Weir’s exhaustive research produces a feeling like total immersion for the reader. You get lost in the detail. You can see and feel and touch what Ms. Weir is describing. I have not found that in her fiction writing. It is comparatively flat. I just did not get lost in the story.

This is still an enjoyable book. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction or Tudor related books, will enjoy this novel.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

Note: If you have not read the first two books of the trilogy, The Passage and The Twelve, fire your book advisor and get it on it. Now!

The City of Mirrors is the concluding book of Justin Cronin’s Passage Trilogy. What a trilogy it has been. The first book, The Passage, was released in 2010. My 16 yr old son and I devoured it and fought for possession of the copy from the library. We both finished it in wonder. As in “wonder what is going to happen next” as well as wonder as in awestruck. The Twelve was released in 2012 and it was well worth the two year wait. Again my son and I enjoyed it immensely and were eager for the next book. Finally (no disrespect to Mr. Cronin intended) in 2016 The City of Mirrors is releasing in June. By some wonderful twist of fate, I scored an Advance Review Copy through NetGalley. My review is spoiler free.

While my son was in Houston at the 4C’s conference, I was sending him pictures of the cover of the book and basically squealing in text message as I dove in. If you read the first two books, you know that there are very few times or places where the characters are safe. But a few of those safe moments do exist and they give the reader an opportunity to breathe. The City of Mirrors, not so much. It is constant tension and fear. It is standing on the railroad tracks at night blindfolded. You can hear the train, you know it is coming but you cannot not see it. That is what the plot of this book was like. I knew it was going to be intense but even very intense is an understatement.

The City of Mirrors picks up approximately twenty years after the end of The Twelve. Time and events have changed everyone, not necessarily for the better. There is a complacency among many people with only a very few who witnessed the events of the first two books being more on guard. I found that within a few chapters I was not sure who I could trust anymore from the original set of characters. It was unsettling to not trust characters I had cheered for through two books but something was just off. The reader as well as a few characters could feel something was approaching.

When I hit the point where I was forgetting to breathe, I would take a break and pick the book back up again. I wanted to devour it in one setting but the lack of breathing destroyed that plan. I persisted, a few chapters at a time, and was rewarded by being able to absorb what I was reading better. I will be rereading City of Mirrors multiple times as I have the first two from the trilogy.

Mr. Cronin’s prose is beautiful. Unfortunately I am not allowed to include any quotes due to Netgalley rules. Trust me on this one. His descriptions are lush and full. The atmosphere he creates is palpable. The characters are more complex than before. The best part, the most amazing part, is how well The City of Mirrors concludes the trilogy. It all fits together perfectly. There are no loose ends, no parts that feel like it was pushed to fit into something from the first book. It is as though the trilogy is one seamless book, written in one sitting. The story flows perfectly from the first to the last book.

Many times series can lose their magic or the reader’s attention. It is difficult to sustain such a high quality of writing over several books instead of one stand alone. But Mr. Cronin has done just that. The magic spell he first cast over my son and I six years ago, with a girl named Amy and her story, continued to enchant till the very end.

The premise of Tainted Cure is that secret research has been ongoing for about ten years to find a permanent cure of addiction, all addiction. The research is achieved by addicting rodents to heroin. Once addicted, different formulas are tested on the rodents. Only after ten thousand plus formulas does one work. The next step is to select, literally off the streets, and use them as human test subjects.

The potential to end addiction has great benefit for many, many people. It will not benefit those who produce, distribute and sell drugs. Having a mole inside the lab keeping a drug cartel lord informed, the plan is to stop the cure from being produced and reverse engineer it to make drugs more addictive. There is an unexpected side effect.

The main characters in the book range from scientist to drug lords to preppers and people caught in the middle. None of the characters are really fleshed out well. The plot moves between the different people and places.

Rebecca Roberts does a fantastic job narrating this book. Listening to her tell the story is much better than reading it. She infuses life into a plot and characters which otherwise seem flat. Her male as well as female characters are well done. I am never disappointed in any narrations done by Rebecca Roberts. Whether the book is poor, fair, good or excellent, her narration is always perfect.